Editorial - Point of no return on Shore Drive

The city of Virginia Beach can?t bring back Burley Thomas Day III, the 44-year-old triathlete killed last week while jogging along Shore Drive.

Nor can it return to life Kristin Highfill, Charles Henderson or James and Dawn Hale, four other pedestrians who met untimely ends along a single stretch of the busy artery this year.

With that many fatalities in a single year, Shore Drive deserves to be rechristened Death Drive.

Continue reading at Pilotonline.com.

Jim Smith Auto Dealership closing

No doubt you’ve seen that Jim Smith’s used car lot closed on December 1.
He passed away in October.

I apologize for not posting the news of his death when it was emailed to me in October.

2 robberies at Arby’s on Shore Drive [across from NAB]

According to WAVY, Virginia Beach Police need your help in solving two armed robberies that occurred within the past week at the Arbys Restaurant, 5197 Shore Drive.

Crime Solvers at 1-888-Lock-U-Up.

Story at WAVY.

SDAC Special meeting article

?We have to stop thinking of pedestrians as an afterthought,? she said. ?If you look at Shore Drive on the whole, it?s very unforgiving . ? It?s our responsibility to make it as safe as possible.? Quoted by June Barret-McDaniels, a member of the SDAC.

Va Power workman hit near where jogger killed - true

That’s correct.

When Virginia Power was working on moving the wiring etc in the median in the last couple weeks, across from 7-11 at Marlin Bay and Shady Oaks, one of the workman was in fact hit.

Commentary about latest death on Shore Drive

Still, if we truly cared about education and safety, we?d demand that high schools start later in the morning.

?We?re letting transportation drive education,? Nancy Guy said.

Embarrassing. And dangerous.

Read commentary at the Pilotonline.com.

Lower federal funding for oyster restoration

While Congress recently approved just more than $1 million for the Army Corps of Engineers to pursue oyster restoration work in 2006, it is the smallest allocation since 2003. It will pay mostly for the corps to complete a long-term master plan of future oyster projects, officials said.

Robbery at gun point on bike trail in Cape Story

This was received from a neighbor on Maple St.:

  There was an armed robbery on the bike trail between Sandalwood and Maple Saturday night Dec. 3.  Four black men, robbed a man, out walking his dog at 8:50pm, between Maple and Sandalwood.

WVEC-TV story about SDAC asking City Council to make safety changes now

In it, they ask for immediate improvements, like traffic signals, new signage, reducing the speed limit in some places and improving sidewalk access.

Lawyer on quest to have crosswalks painted

Bill Johnson, an attorney, has been on a quest to get the city to have crosswalks painted.

He’s been constantly talking about it everywhere to convince the city…before someone gets killed.

Interestingly, the city will.

GetDedicated.org

…the website for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation?s campaign for clean water in Virginia. Nearly 7,000 miles of Virginia rivers and streams are polluted, including the entire Chesapeake Bay, yet Virginia spends only about 1 cent of every tax dollar on protecting the environment. We need to change that.

Request for Shore Drive Safety Task Force

In response to the recent increase in unfortunate safety related deaths along Shore Drive, the Shore Drive Community Coalition (SDCC) requests that the SDAC take the lead in organizing a Shore Drive Safety Task Force to create the necessary focus that this issue demands.

2005 State of the Lynnhaven River Report

On December 1st, Lynnhaven River 2007 unveiled our first “State of the River” Report.  The report evaluates the condition of the river using indicators that measure pollution, pollution control strategies, habitat preservation and restoration, and environmental awareness. 

In 2005, the Lynnhaven River receives a C.

Lynnhaven River 2007[LR2007] Public Meeting

Please join Lynnhaven River 2007 at our quarterly Public Meeting on
Thursday, December 1st from 8:00-9:00 AM at Dockside Inn (3311 Shore Drive, Virginia Beach).

Captain John Smith’s Adventures…on the James

In 1606, King James granted a charter to the Virginia Company of London enabling the private investors to establish a colony in North America. That December, three vessels, the Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery, left England with more than 100 male colonists aboard.